In response to the front-page article of the Gazette on Nov. 1 titled “Lifeguard drain pulls plug on swim times,” I’d like to start a much larger conversation about the most significant factors contributing to the lifeguard shortage.
In the article, Aquatics Sservices manager Sharleen Edwards stated that the two new facilities opening in the City of Edmonton are “creating quite a large demand for lifeguards.” Mayor Crouse emphasizes the region’s population growth when discussing the lifeguard shortage (Global News, Nov. 3).
However, one very large part of the equation is missing in both of the aforementioned accounts and that is: the lifeguards themselves. The truth is that City of St. Albert lifeguards are simply not being paid an amount that is reflective of their valuable work. It is important to note that I recently left the City of St. Albert's aquatics department after working there for four years, because I can be paid much more fairly for the same positions in another facility in Edmonton (not City of Edmonton run). I find it interesting that at this facility my co-workers complain about our comparatively low wage as compared to our City of Edmonton counterparts. So you can imagine the differences between the municipalities of St. Albert and Edmonton, in terms of competitiveness in an industry that has a relatively small pool (pardon my pun) of workers from which to draw.
Lifeguards truly do guard lives, as demonstrated in the preventable drowning statistics released by the Lifesaving Society each year. Therefore, we deserve pay reflective of our multitude of training costs and responsibilities to the public.
Until the City of St. Albert begins to show lifeguards their own value in concrete terms, there will continue to be a lifeguard shortage and the effects will be felt among the public.
Chelsea Brooks, St. Albert
